Zone controlled carriage return mechanism for typewriters



May 31, 1960 H. F. NICCOLLS 2,938,618

ZONE CONTROLLED CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FOR TYPEWRITERS Filed Jan. 8,1959 DISABLING SWITCH OTHEQ KEV 1 35 5 Z COMMA i0 Fame-D SPACE BARUNLATCI-IING SOLENOID CAREIAGE STOP SW! 767-] M T153 L F T0 MOTOEINVENTOR. #5255275 Mac-01.1.5

United States Patent ZONE CONTROLLED CARRIAGE RETURN MECHANISM FORTYPEWRITERS Herbert F. Niccolls, 15917 Victory Blvd,

Van Nuys,

Filed Jan. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 785,749

11 Claims. (Cl. 197-66) This invention relates to carriage returnmechanisms for typewriting machines and particularly to mechanisms forautomatically returning a typewriter carriage from predeterminedpositions within a certain zone.

Automatic carriage return mechanisms for typewriters are known, asevidenced by U.S. Patent No. 1,389,718, of September 6, 1921, thispatented mechanism being a mechanical device for actuating a motor forreturning the carriage to its starting or left-hand margin position. Thepresent invention is an all-electric system wherein at the usual marginposition indicated by a bell, circuits are set up which will return thecarriage when a proper lineending key, such as the space bar, periodkey, comma key, hyphen key, or any other selected key is actuated. Withthe increasing use of electrical typewriters, the present invention maybe easily added to the typewriter circuit to obtain several advantages.Some of these advantages are an increase in volume and efliciency bypermitting the operator to forget the right-hand margin positioning.Also, no operating time is lost by carriage operation and it issubstantially unnecessary for the operator to move his hand out oftypewriting position to punch a carriagereturn button. When the operatorknows that the carriage will return at the proper point, there is noautomatic slow-down when approaching the right-hand margin.

The principal object of the invention, therefore, is to facilitate theoperation of electric typewriters.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automaticcarriage return mechanism for typewriters.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical improvedcarriage return mechanism for typewriters which will return thetypewriter at any point within a predetermined zone under control of aselected key.

A better understanding of this invention may be had from the followingdetailed description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a combination schematic and diagrammatic circuit embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic detail view showing one form of electricalcontact; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic detail view showing another form of electricalcontacts.

Referring, now, to the drawings in which the same reference numeralsindicate the same elements, a typewriter carriage is indicated by thelines 5 and 6, the carriage having one projection 7 thereon adjacent therighthand end of the carriage, and ,a projection 8 thereon adjacent theleft-hand end of the carriage, these projections being adjustable on thecarriage in any suitable manner.

Power is supplied to the typewriter over conductors 10 which may beconnected to the usual l10-volt alternating current house supply. Thecarriage-return operation of the circuit is controlled by a latchingrelay having a latching solenoid portion 12 and an unlatching solenoidportion 13, the two portions being connected by an armature 2,938,618Patented May 31, 1960 ice with plural contactelements 14, 15, 16, and17. Any commercial type of latching relay with sufficient contacts maybe used. The spacebar, period, comma, and hyphen contacts are shown at20, 21, 22, and 23, while two other key contacts are shown at 24 and 25,it being understood that all of the keys operate similar contacts in thenormal writing operation. The form of these contacts and keys may be asshown in Fig. 2, the contact 53 being made by a key 54 on a pivoted arm55.

For operating the typewriter type bars and spacing mechanism, each ofthe contacts, such as 2025 and the others, when closed energize theirrespective magnetic coils 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32. The energy for themagnetic coils 2732 is provided from the AC. source 10 over a disablingswitch 35, conductor 36, whichever key contact 20--25 is closed, and tothe respective coils 2732 back to the groundside of the circuit. Thus,in the normal operation of one type of typewriter, the key contacts willbe made and the magnetic coils energized in accordance with theactuation of the keys. In typewriters using a mechanical knockoff systemin which the type bars aredriven by a motor, the magnetic coils 27-32are not used. In such a system, the contacts 20-23 are added to thetypewriter for energizing the motor 44.

Another power circuit from the source 10 is over con ductor 38, acarriage-operated switch 39 when closed, conductor 40, conductor 41, andthe typewriter bell 42 back to ground. A parallel circuit is overconductor 40, the latching solenoid portion 12 of the latching relay andback to ground. Thus, when the carriage-operated switch 39 is closed,this switch being a momentary switch which permits the carriage tocontinue to the right, the bell sounds momentarily and the latchingsolenoid portion 12 of the latching relay is energized to move itsswitch contacts 1417 to the right. The closing of these contacts permitsenergy to be impressed on motor 44 when any one of the keys 2023 isactuated. Should the space bar 20 be actuated, energy from the source 10will be impressed on motor 44 over the closed contacts 20, conductor 43,closed contacts 14, and the motor 44 to ground. The motor 44 thusreturns the carriage to its left-hand margin position. Should either theperiod, comma, or hyphen key be pressed after the latching relaysolenoid portion 12 has been energized, the motor 44 will also beenergized and the carriage will be returned to its left-hand marginposition. Thus, the operator may disregard the right-hand marginposition of each line, as the carriage will return at the proper lineending as determined by the space bar, period, comma, hyphen, or anyother selected key.

Because of the rapid action of the type bars and the inertia of themotor actuating the carriage, the period, comma, hyphen, or otherselected key, will print its character before the carriage is moved bythe motor. Also, serially-arranged contacts for the keys could be usedwhereby the contacts for actuating the comma,

period, and hyphen characters would be made prior to the motorenergizing contacts. Such a system is shown in Fig. 3, whereby the key57 on pivoted bar 58 closes contacts 59 to actuate a type bar beforecontacts 60 are closed to energize the carriage return motor. The switcharm 61 is resilient.

Now, when the carriage is returned to its left-hand margin position, theprojection 8 on the carriage Will momentarily close a switch 47 whichwill place power on the unlatching solenoid portion 13 of the latchingrelay over conductor 38, conductor 48, and the unlatching portion 13 ofthe relay to ground. The energization of portion 13 will open theswitches 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the latching relay and restore thekeyboard to its normal operating condition so that actuation of thespace bar,

period, comma, or hyphen keys will not return the carriage untilprojection 7 again closes switch 39. Thus, with the above-describedcircuit, the bell position margin may be set at any desired point toprovide a zone .of any vdesired number of remaining spaces, such as :the.usual five, six, or seven spaces, after the sound of the bell, thecarriage being returned upon theuactuation ,of'the proper key when thecarriage is in this zone. a word has more letters than the number ofspaces provided, the operator will hyphenate such a word upon the soundof the bell. r

I claim:

-1. An automaticcarriage return mechanism for a typewriter .comprising amotor adapted to return a carriage upon the energization thereof, apower supply for said motor, a plurality of parallel circuitshavingcommon ter: minals for interconnecting said power supply and saidmotor, a pair of serially-arranged switches in each of said circuits,the actuation of any serially-arranged pair ,of said switches energizingsaid motor, a momentarily energizable two-portion latching relay forsimultaneously actuating one group of said switches in all .of saidcircuits at a predetermined position of said typewriter carriage, and .aplurality of keys adapted to actuate another group of switches in saidcircuits, the actuation of any one of which is adapted to energize saidmotor when said first group of switches has been closed. I

2. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a typewriter in accordancewith claim 1 in which a bell is provided for indicating saidpredetermined position of said carriage together with means forenergizing said hell.

.3. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a type- Writer inaccordance with claim 2 in which said means is a carriage operatedswitch, a second switch being provided for actuation by said carriage atits starting position.

4. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a typewriter in accordancewith claim 1 in which said latching relay has a latching solenoidportion and an unlatching solenoid portion, both portions of said relaybeing momentarily energizable, a carriage switch being provided,actuation of said switch energizing said latching portion of said relay.

5. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a typewriter in accordancewith claim 4 in which a second carriage switch is provided, actuation ofsaid second .carriage switch energizing said unlatching portion of .saidrelay.

6. An automatic carriage return mechanism fora typewriter comprisingelectrical means for actuating the type bars of said typewriter, a powersupply for saidmeans, a motor adapted when energized to return thecarriage of said typewriter to the starting point thereof, a pluralityIn the event of parallel circuits between said power supply and saidmotor for energizing said motor, said circuits having common terminals,'a momentarily energizable relay having two. portions, one of saidportions being adapted to be energized when said carriage reaches apredetermined point in the travel thereof, energization of said portionof said relay closing certain portions of all ofsaid circuits betweensaid power supply and said motor, said relay having a plurality ,ofcontacts, and ;a plurality of key actuated contacts in said parallelcircuits for closing certain other'portions of said circuitsforconnecting said power supply to said motor after said relay contactshave been made.

7. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a typewriter in accordancewith claim 6 in which a circuit is provided between said power supplyand said portion of said relay, said circuit including a switch adaptedto be actuated by said carriage.

8; An automa ic carr ag re rn mechanismffo a Writer accordance withc a m6 in which two carriage p d wit hes e p ovid d, ne of said switches.ccnnect n said power s pp y to said por ion o said r l y for makingsaid relay contacts, and the other of said switches connecting saidpower supply to another PQItion of said relay for breaking said contactsof said relay. 9. An automatic carriage return mechanism for atypewriter in accordance with claim 6 in which an additional circuit isprovided between said power supply and said motor, said circuitincluding a single "switch contact adapted to be manually actuated.

10. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a yp t n ac ord nce withcl im 611.1 which audible means are provided together with a circuitbetween said power supply and said audible means, said circuit includinga carriage operable switch for connecting said power supply to saidaudible means, said switch simultaneously connecting said power supplyto said first-mentioned portion of said relay.

11. An automatic carriage return mechanism for a typewriter inaccordance with claim 10 in whicha second carriage operable switch isprovided, actuation of said second switch energizing another portion .ofsaid relay for opening said certain portions of said motor energizingcircuits.

References. Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS436,319 Silkman Sept. 9, 1890 1,368,599 Bates Feb. '15, 1921 1,509,228Carino Sept. 23, 1924 2,283,538 .Clark May .19, 19.42 2,297,789 Mills etal. Oct. 6, '1942

